The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-02-02
ZHE FARMERS MASS CONVEN-
Y III. /. TON.
Over Three Hundred Representative
Farmers in Council-A Dignified
and Conservative Body.
IMPORTANT MOVEMENTS 1sAueURArED.

Hall in the city If Raleigh, at IL IN.
on the 26th of January. A large
number of the counties from the
Blue Ridge to the coast were repre-
sented. When I'VE reflect that for
midable Influences were brought
against the movement-that the time
was short and the facilities for adj
vertising it were limited, and that
the reduced rates on the roads could
be obtained in time only to give very
short notice, not only was the
success of the, movement attested by
the presence Of over three hundred
representative farmers, but it clearly
indicated a ground swell in public
sentiment among the masses that is
significant. A more orderly, conserv-
ative and digniied. body has eve
assembled in the State. Fraternal
and deferential in debate, courteous
and respectful to authority, earnest
and united in purpose and action,
the body made a fine impression on
the large number ofvisitors from all
parts Of the State, who thronged the
lobby and galleries ofthe Hall. Upon
the enrolment Of the members and
the organization of the body, it was
found that "would-be-leaders' and
"men with axes to grind" had been
left out. Gentlemen of the legal and
other professions, who ere largely
engaged in farming, participated &C
lively in the proceedings, but with a
liberal patriotism and an unaffected
modesty that the Convention
thought might we'll have been emu
lated by some conspicuous lobbyists.
If anything were needed to corrob-
crate our high estimate of the gen
eral character of the Convention it
will be furnished in the personnel Of
the officers and committeeman to
whom was entrusted the most impOr-
tant work Of the Convention. These,
as well as a full list of the. members
will be published next week with an
official report Of the proceedings.
But these pleasing features of the
Convention were a disappointment
to many. Only one week before Il
meeting had been called byetha.
Board of Agriculture. The farmers
in the meeting "Gutinied and cap
tured the ship" Predictions of
clark and malicious design'-of pur-
pose "dire and fearful" had been
freely INDUCED as to the coming Con
vention and the action of that meet
ing only tended to strengthen these
gloomy forebodings. Indeed SO ear-
nestly had they been fostered ands so
faithfully had the "hideous wreck"
that would mark our action been
painted, that many, and among
them the most intelligent Of our
Convention, believed that the well
poised and well guarded credulity
of our highly esteemed and distin-
guished fellow-citizen,
MINISTER JARVIS,
had been imposed upon. The fire.
quent appeals and earnest and repeat
ed admonitions not to destroy, which
ran all through his otherwise able
and patriotic speech, provoked many
d quiet smile among those hundreds
of patriotic farmers, than whom he
never, in all his career, addressed a
more conservative body.
w THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED.
7 A plan for the organization of the
farmers Of the State was adopted, to
be styled "The North Carolina Farm
ers' Association" The permanent
officers of the Association are Mr..
Elias Carr, Of Edgecombe, presi-
dent, with nine vice-presidents,
from the various congressional dis
%tricts, as follows: 1st, Willis r.
Williams, of Pitt I'd, Capt. w. A.
Darden, of Greene; Sd, 6. q. French,
of Fender; 4th, Col. w. F. Greene,
Of Franklin; 9TH, II. E. Fries, of
Forsyth 9th, is Reid, of Mecklen-
burg; 18th, W. H. Hobson 9Th, Bur
we'll Blanton 9th, w. III. Mcclure,
Of Clay. Secretary, B. F. Hester, of
Granville; assistant secretaries, S.
Ohio Wilson, of Wake, and G.. Nc
Donald, of Cabarrus. Treasurer, w.
E. Benbow, Of Guilford. Executive
committee, DR.. d. r. Parker, of
Randolph; Prof. A. NJ. McIver, of
Orange; D. Men Mckay, Of Harnet
L.. l.. Polk, Of Forsyth and C. Nc
Donald, of Cabarrus. Their term of
office is for one year. The first an
nual Convention of the Association
will be held in Greensboro on the
second Wednesday in January, 1888.
THE FARMERS AND THE AGRICULTURAL